Material handling apparatus



14, 1953v J. c BROERSMA 2,645,372

MATERIAL HANbLINc APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1948 3 Shuts-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. J. CHARLES BROERSMA ATTv's.

y 1953 J. c. BROERSMA 5, 7

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1948 3 She ets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

, INVENTOR. J. CHARLES BROERSMA ATTY's.

July 14, 1953 J. c. BRoERsMA uamm. HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3119a Jun 12. 4948 FIG. 5

IN VEN TOR. J. CHARLES BROERSMA ATTY's.

V Patented July 14, 1953 2,645,372 I M ATER I AL HANDLING APRARATUS -J. Charles Broersnia, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor i to l Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan',

. .Mich a:corporation of Michigan l ma aria Jae 12, 1948, Serial mam 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-4552) This invention relateagenerallyg to industrial trucks and it has particular relation to attach ments for such trucks for gripping and handling various types of loads.

Among the objects of this inventionare: To provide for gripping a load by clamp means at tached to and movable "with the elevating mechanism of anindustrialtruck and for'rotating the load gripped by the clamp means; to employ remotely operable power means for op erating individually the clamp means f and the load rotating means; to employ a pair of clamp arms'rockably mounted-intermediate their ends for gripping the load between their outer ends and for equalizing the movement of the clamp arms as caused by a hydraulic operating mechanism connected between the innerends of the clamp arms; to clamp cylindrical loads; and to accommodate cylindrical loads of different diameters. V

Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

This invention is disclosed in the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, and it comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinatfer set forth and-the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. 7

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of this invention, reference can be had to the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an industrial truck of conventional design having a carriage arranged to be elevated by the truck elevating mechanism, the carriage being arranged to pick up a cylindrical load, such as an oil drum, and to rotate it about a horizontal axis;

Figure 2 is perspective view illustrating how the cylindrical load canbe picked up and rotated from a horizontal to a vertical position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating how the present invention can be employed for rotating a cylindrical load so as to dump the contents of the same;

.Figure 4 is a view, in front elevation, of the rotatably mounted clamp mechanism shown in the preceding figures;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the hydraulic operating mechanism employed for moving the clamp arms into and out of'engagement with the cylindrical load. I

Referring now particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be noted that the reference character [0 designates, generally, an industrial truck of conventional construction which hasa 'mast I I at its front end on which a cross head I2 is mounted for movement up and down. It will be understood that the cross head 12 is movable under the control of the operator who rides on the truck It). At its ends the'cross head l2 has sprocket wheels l3 over which chains i l are trained. One end of each of the chains 14 is anchored to the mast H while the other ends are attached to a load supporting carriage, shown generally at l5, which is guided for movement on the mast II and is arranged to move up and down therealong in accordance with corresponding movement of the cross head 12.

The load supporting carriage I5 is preferably rigidly constructed so that it will be capable of handling without distortion the load that is applied thereto. It may comprise a pair of cross members I6 to which a plate I! is attached as by welding. Near the upper edge of the plate I! a pair of L-shaped brackets 20 are welded. Bolts 2| extending through theprojecting arms of the bracket 20 serve to hold arms 22 and 23 securely thereto. The arms 22 and 23 extend forwardly of the carriage 15 in parallel spaced relation as shown and together constitute an extension therefrom.

At the forward ends of the arms 22 and 23 a supportor shaft 24 is journaled at 25 and 26. The support or shaft 24 may be formed from a bar of steel having a rectangular cross section and it is rotatably mounted as indicated at 25 and-2G so that it rotates about a horizontal axis which is transverse to the arms 22 and 23 which together'constitute the extension above referred to.

In order'to rotate the support 24 about its horizontal axis itis provided with a gear 21 at the right hand end, as viewed in Figure 4, and a rack 28 is provided for cooperating therewith. As shown in'Figure 1,the rack 23 is arranged to be moved for rotating the gear 2! by a power mechanism in the form of a hydraulic operator which is indicated, generally, at 29. The hydraulic operator 29 is of conventional construction and includes a cylinder 30 which is fastened at one end to a bracket 3| that extends from the arm 23. A pair of hose 32 are connected to opposite ends of the cylinder 30 for applying pressure to opposite sides of a piston which reciprocates Within the cylinder 30 for effecting corresponding movement of the rack 28. An idler operator that is indicated generally at 40 and which may be a duplicate of the hydraulic op-,

erator 29. The hydraulic operator 40 includes a cylinder 42 and a connecting rod 43, the former being connected tothe inner end 44 of the arm 38 and the latter being connected to the inner end 45 of the arm 39. A pair of hose 46 and 41 are provided for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to opposite ends of the cylinder 42. It

.of the support 24 011 the arm 22. Fittings 5| and 52 serve to interconnect the passageways 49 and 48, respectively, to a pair of hose 53 through which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from a suitable source under pressure. j

The outer ends 55 and 51 of the clamp arms 38 and 39 have arcuate clamp members 58 and 59, respectively, attached theretofor engaging a cylindrical load 69 which, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings may be in the form of a drum containing a liquid such as oil. It will be understood that other cylindrical loads can be transportedwith the industrial truck attachment disclosed herein.

Since it is desirable to grip securely loads having different diameters using the same arcuate clamp members 58 and 59, an adjusting plate 6| may be provided for accommodating the various diameters of the loads. The adjusting plate 6| can be secured by bolts 62 to the support 24. The adjusting plate 61 has bolt holes 63 therein, as shown, to permit its being positioned at various locations with respect to the support 24 depending upon the diameter of the load to be lifted. v

It will be observed that the hydraulic operator 49 is supported entirely by the inner ends 44 and 45 of the clamp arms 38 and 39. In order to insure that equal movement of the clamp arms 38 and 39 takes place, a rigid link 55 is connected at 5B and 61 to the outer end 56 of the clamp arm 38 and to the inner end 45 of the clamp arm 39. The points of connection of the rigid link 65 tothe clamp arms 38 and 39 are equidistant from theirpivot points 3,6 and 31. This construction insures that the clamp arms 38 and 39 move through the same extent on expansion or contraction of hydraulic operator 49.

Referring again to Figure 1 it will be observed that the pairs of hose 32 and 53 extend upwardly from the carriage l5 and over pulleys 68 that are rotatably mounted on thecross head [2 and move'up' and down therewith. It will be understood that the hose 32 and 53 are connected through suitable valves under the control of the operator to a source of hydraulic pressure.

In operation, the industrialtruck II] is driven to the location of the load 69 with the arcuate clamp members 58 and 59 in the open position. Assuming that a drum is to be picked up as illustrated in Figure 1, the truck I0 is maneuvered to such position that the arcuate clamp members 58 and 59 are on opposite sides thereof. The carriage I5 is lowered to the properposition by the operator on the truck I 9. Thereafter he energizes the hydraulic operator 40 to move the arcuate clamp members 58 and 59 into gripping engagement with the sides of the drum. Whenthis has been accomplished the operator causes thecarriage I5 to be raised along the mast ll. truck 10 then is driven to the desired location.

If it is desired to swing the drum from the horizontal to the vertical position as shown in Figure 2, the operator suitably energizes the hydraulic operator 29 to swing the-support 24 and therewith the drum about the horizontal axis to the position shown.

As shown in Figure 3 the contents of the drum can be dumped. For this purpose the hydraulic operator 29 is energized so as to swing the drum to the position here shown. It will be noted that the arms .22 and '23 are spaced sufficiently far apart on the carriage 15 'to permit the drum.

to be swung between them.

The foregoing described steps in handling the drum are merely illustrative of the manner in which the present invention can be'employed. Obviously it has other purposes. For example, it can be employed for stacking the drums one about the other or for unstacking the drums as may be desired.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of thedrawings, the arms 22 and. 23 vare'provided with bolt holes 21', for receiving the bolts 2| to hold the arms 22 and 23 in alternate positions on the brackets 29. This permits the support 24 to be carried closer to the carriage l5 where heavier loads can be picked up. However, the load cannot be dumped, as shown in Figure 3, but can be carried in either the horizontal position as shown in Figure 1 or in the vertical position as shown in Figure 2.

Since certain other changes-can be .made in the foregoing constructions and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from thespirit and scopethereof, it is intended that all'matter shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. An attachment foran industrial truck having a vertical mast and elevating means thereon comprising, in combination, a'carriage adapted for mounting on said mast and to-bemoved up and down thereon by said elevating means, an extension projecting forwardly of said carriage, a shaft rotatable about a; transverse axis on said extension, a pair of clamp arms rockably mounted intermediate their ends on said shaft, the outer ends of said clamp arms being arcuate for engaging and gripping a cylindrical load therebetween, a power mechanism operatively connectedbetween the inner ends of said clamp arms for moving said arcuate outer ends thereof into and out of. engagement withthe load, and a power mechanism carried by said extension and operatively connected to said shaft for rotating it and theload gripped by said arcuate outer ends of said clam-p arms about said transverse axis.

1 2. Anattachment for an industrial truck having a vertical mast and elevating means thereon comprising, in combination, a carriage adapted for mounting onsaid mast and to be moved up and down thereonby said elevating means, an extension projecting forwar l of said carriage,

This picks up the drum. The 7 a support rotatable about a transverse axis on said extension, a pair of clamp arms rockably mounted intermediate their ends on said support,

the outer ends of said clamp arms being arcuate inner ends of said clamp arms for moving said arcuate outer ends thereof into and out of engagement with the load, and a power mechanism carried by said extension and operatively con-' nected to said support for rotating it and the load gripped by said arcuate outer ends of said clamp arms about said transverse axis. 1

J. CHARLES BROERSMA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Barlow July 13, 1920 Number 7 Number Number Name Date Moone Dec. 27, 1921 Eidmann Apr. 15, 1924 Wehr May 26, 1931 Abbe Sept. 27, 1932 Remde Oct. 25, 1932 Allard June 12, 1934 Schwab June 11, 1935 Stevens Dec. 17, 1946 Stokes Dec. 31, 1946 Guerin Dec. 28,1948 Breslav'n; May 10, 1949 Ferrario et al. Feb. 14, 1950 .Vogel et a1. May 23, .1950 Lehmann Sept. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Jan. 26, 1931 Australia -11. Mar. 21, 1941 

